Hamas chief: Palestinians don’t seek war, but will fight to end occupation
top Hamas leader told French television on Tuesday that while the Palestinian Islamist group “is not aiming for war,” it will continue to “fight for freedom out of a desire to rid [our nation] of the occupation.”Khaled Mashaal, the political bureau chief of the organization ruling the Gaza Strip, was quoted as saying that the current wave of Palestinian violence against Israel – which he termed “an intifada” – comprised “defensive resistance” in light of “Israeli aggression.”“The situation in Gaza has become tense at times,” Mashaal said. “We are not aiming for war, but we are a nation that is fighting for its freedom and wants to be rid of the occupation.”